Silent Vigil
by cein
Summary: Kerry sits vigil by her lover's bedside


Title: Silent Vigil  
  
Author/pseudonym: céindreadh  
  
Email address: ceindreadh@eircom.net  
  
Rating: PG-15  
  
Warnings: FF relationship   
  
Timeline: Late season 8, early season 9. No spoilers  
  
Disclaimer: "ER" and all its characters belong to Warner  
  
Bros. No infringement of their copyright is intended. This story  
  
was written for the enjoyment of "ER" fans everywhere, and  
  
may be downloaded for your own pleasure.  
  
Silent Vigil  
  
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Kerry Weaver sat beside the bed and watched her partner's chest rise and fall slowly. Sitting by Sandy's bedside, waiting for her to waken had become a common occurrence throughout their partnership. It couldn't be helped what with the way they both worked awkward shifts, but it was not what she had planned for Sandy's birthday.  
  
No, the plans for the day had included a romantic breakfast in bed, tickets to a movie - not that they planned on watching it, no, they were simply going to sit in the back row and neck like a couple of school kids. And then dinner at one of Chicago's finest restaurants, followed by an early night. Kerry had arranged the schedules to make sure that she had the entire day off. Sandy too had made arrangements, swapping shifts with another firefighter so that she'd be off from midnight the night before. Everything had been planned to perfection...until what had started out as a minor fire had gotten dramatically out of hand and put paid to all plans of a happy day.  
  
Kerry shifted awkwardly in her chair. Although a relatively comfortable piece of furniture, spending so many hours in it was doomed to render even the softest of cushions a true pain in the ass. She squashed that random thought. How could she complain of discomfort after what Sandy had been through? There was a flicker of movement from the woman on the bed and Kerry leaned forward holding her breath.  
  
Sandy's lips moved silently and she shifted restlessly on the bed, but after a few seconds her body relaxed again and Kerry sank back into the chair, disappointment etched on her face.   
  
Kerry sighed heavily. There wasn't really any point in her being there. Sandy was completely unaware of her surroundings and would remain so until she woke up. Kerry knew that her presence wouldn't hasten that occurrence, but still she sat and waited. After all, it wasn't as if she had anything else to do...not alone anyway.  
  
Sandy started to move restlessly again. Kerry watched her carefully...this was different from the last time...could she finally be about to wake? There was only one way to find out. "Sandy?" she said softly. "Come on honey, it's time to wake up."  
  
Sandy's eyes slowly flickered open. A smile twitched at the corner of her lips as she focused on Kerry. "Hey there," she said, yawning slightly.  
  
"Good morning sleepy head," said Kerry as she slid onto the bed beside her lover. "Or should I say Good afternoon."  
  
Sandy looked at her in puzzlement before glancing at the clock. "How long have I been out for?"   
  
"Almost twelve hours...you were barely able to walk when you got back." Kerry bent her head and brushed her lips gently against Sandy's. "That fire really took a lot out of you."   
  
Near the end of her shift, Sandy's crew had taken a call to a fire in a warehouse. Initially it had only been a small alarm, but by the time they had arrived, things had gotten out of hand and it had taken them most of the night to get it under control and prevent it from spreading to neighboring buildings. The only blessing was that casualties had been at a minimum, a few minor burns and broken bones, but nothing serious.   
  
But Sandy had returned home exhausted and smelling of smoke. A smell that even a long shower at the firehouse hadn't been able to dissipate. She had collapsed into the bed she shared with Kerry and had been dead to the world since then.  
  
"You shoulda called me earlier," said Sandy, tracing a line around the contours of Kerry's face. "All the plans you'd made...I've gone and messed it all up."  
  
Kerry silenced her with another kiss. "My main plan for the day was to spend as much time as possible with you. And I think that that part of it succeeded."  
  
"Yeah, but I sure as hell wasn't supposed to be in bed sleeping my way through it!"   
  
"Well there's still time to get out of bed. We've missed the matinee, but we can still make the restaurant..." Kerry slid her hand down Sandy's thigh, "...and have an early night."  
  
Sandy reached out for Kerry and pulled her on top of her. "Or we could just skip the restaurant and go straight to bed."  
  
"Haven't you wasted enough time in bed already today?" teased Kerry.  
  
"Hey, time spent in bed is never wasted...specially when it's with you."  
  
"I couldn't agree more," said Kerry, as she fastened her lips over Sandy's. "Happy birthday."  
  
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The End 


End file.
